The Air Force has ordered the resumption of “Storm” (Sufa) plane training flights after an initial investigation has showed that technical problems did not cause last week’s fatal crash that claimed the lives of Majors Amichay Itkis and Emanuel Levy.
Their two-seat plane crashed in the area of Mitzpeh Ramon, in the central Negev. Air Force investigators recovered the plane’s black box on Thursday, and it was sent to the United States for research in an effort to understand the cause of the crash using its recorded material.
All Sufa flights were grounded until Monday. Air Force Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Nimrod Shefer said, “The investigation shows that the chances of a technical error were minimal, and there were no reports of technical or other problems."
Some 20 minutes after takeoff, the crew carried out its training mission of downing an enemy plane - and then crashed. "We do not know of and have not heard of any evidence of problems that could point to a reason for the accident," Shefer said.